Picture Credit: Twitter
What a match this has been so far for Pakistan's off-break bowler Sajid Khan. The spinner has pretty much single-handedly taken the Men in Green on the verge of a win in the rain-hit second Test match at Dhaka. While he had picked six wickets on Day 4 alone after Pakistan decided to declare early at 300/4 to try and push for a result, he came back the next day morning two pick two more wickets and finish with figures of 8/42 in the first innings.
This meant Bangladesh were bowled out for in 87 in the first innings and after they were enforced a follow on in what is the final day of the Test match, they are already 4 down at 72 trailing by 172 runs with still two sessions remaining in the match. Sajid is yet to weave his magic in the second innings so far and if his form in the first innings is anything to go by, the Bangla Tigers could have a tough job in their hands trying to save this match.
And now a video is doing the rounds on the internet in which Sajid has predicted that he will wrap up the Bangladesh tail first up on Day 5 along with Shaheen Afridi which is exactly what happened on the deciding day. While Taijul Islam was sent back for a duck by Khan, Khaleel Ahmed was clean bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi before the offie took the final wicket of the innings, removing Shakib Al Hasan for 33.
Here is the video of Sajid's prediction:
Irrespective of the result from here, Sajid has achieved a feat that is worthy of comparison only to the greats of the game. Pakistan's leg-spinner Abdul Qadir had taken 9/56 against England in the 1987-88 series. Similarly, in March 1982 former Pakistan captain and current Prime Minister Imran Khan was in his sublime best against a Sri Lankan side and finished with figures of 8/58.
Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq also produced similar figures in the first of the England vs Pakistan Test series in 2000-01, ending with figures of 8/164. Sikander Bakht's 8/69 against India in 1979 and Sarfaraz Nawaz's 9/86 against Australia in 1978-79 series are other performances that come close to matching Sajid's magic.